Should My Attached Garage Be ICF

[@TheMarpalm]

The answer is yes! We built our ICF house with an attached ICF garage. Very glad we did. It stays much warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer - great to go out there and work. No downside that I have found

[@Robert-mp4mb]

I went with a detached ICF garage. Detached to be sure car/work shop fumes (paint, welding, etc.) don’t enter the house; and ICF since the 3 story house is ICF from footer to roof and it just seemed logical. It is close to the house, connected by a roof, so I also wanted it to look the same. The roof is vented though while the main house is foam sealed. I couldn’t be happier with my ICF home and garage. Also built a 40’ x 30’ fenced in garden with a two foot ICF wall a black iron fence is mounted on. ICFs are addicting! 😀

[@travisburch4342]

How much did you pay extra for the ICF garage vs a normal stick garage?

[@compactc9]

Before I even start the video, my answer is yes, because I want to heat the garage in the winter and maybe have the option for cooling in the summer, as it would be lavish changing the oil and other maintenance in AC during summer months... so for my situation insulated makes sense. I also want the same structural integrity through the whole house, including the attached garage

[@TheMarpalm]

We put ceiling fans in our garage- makes it great in the summer.

[@Challenged1]

Good idea

[@davidweeks1997]

Having that separate garage changes so much. It would be a mistake in my opinion, not to use ICF everywhere. "Stick" builds are short lived, fragile, cheap. ICF is long lived, robust, worth it. Using ICF, I avoid the issues of wood. I don't want a wood house, a wood boat, or a wood car. I do like a wood humidor though. :-)

[@Nikia2165]

I agree! The stick build wouldn't have the strength or longevity of the ICF. If the attached garage is sharing the same roof as the house, I wouldn't want a weak structure shifting or something to affect my roofline.

[@sauceguy6126]

Engineer is not needed up to 24' I too built an ICF house but with a stick frame garage and regret that decision. Once you try ICF its hard to go back

[@travisburch4342]

Why do you regret the stick garage, personally?

[@jaysson1151]

With the way my future ICF house is laid out on my computer, it’s a classic Colonial design with the main structure in the middle and two smaller wings on each side. One of the wings has a single car garage for the wife’s car along with storage/mechanicals. Only logical to make it all ICF. What I’m on the fence about is my detached garage. We have hurricanes here on the gulf coast as well as tornadoes, although the tornadoes rarely get above EF-1. I could just stick frame it and build as stout as possible, but I also don’t wanna have to deal with termites and moisture damage.

[@kennethayres4106]

In Kansas the ICF is much stronger and safer in high winds and tornados

[@kc9scott]

If the garage is to actually park a car in, it should be detached. That way, (1) if the car bursts into flames (either an EV battery fire, or if you spill gasoline doing fuel-system mods), only the garage burns down, not the house, and (2) in climates where winter roads are salted, it's better to store the car at a cold temperature to reduce corrosion. Either way, be sure to put a vapor barrier under the slab.

[@kbwfgg6400]

I see your point but not really an issue. We park our Prius Prime in our detached but heated garage. It is so nice to jump into a warm car and go. We do believe in doing the rust preventive treatments and washing the car often. And for any concerns about an attached garage, just put up an extra layer of 5/8 drywall.

[@RJM1011]

@@kbwfgg6400 A warmer garage will be better for the batteries of the EV car also.

[@chrisE815]

@@kbwfgg6400 I hope by rust prevention you don't mean Zebart/rubberized trash.

[@fredericrike5974]

the engineer is strong in you, Garrett. That is a good thing when coupled with your avoidance of techno geek to explain things. Appreciate your "list of questions " to be answered by the individual approach. Looking forward to the energy cost breakouts you've been promising- hope to learn a lot!

[@Challenged1]

I appreciate it

[@fredericrike5974]

@@Challenged1 You did the work!

[@kbwfgg6400]

Great note Garrett, I think most people don't consider doing the garage with different construction. In my planning and design stage over that last couple of years of my 40 x 60 garage/woodworking shop with upstairs living space. I decided to do 2 x 6, 24" OC framing with EZ SIPS foam board for cost savings as well as quicker build time over the ICF. But now with the price of wood what it has become I am looking at doing that part of my construction with the Perfect block. I have not priced it out yet but so far it looks like it will come out about the same or maybe even a little cheaper. Can veneer plaster the interior directly with no drywall on the exterior walls and can plaster directly on the exterior, no drywall or OSB needed. But the house that I was going to do with ICF looks like now I might be doing in ICCF.

[@ToddBizCoach]

Use Trusscore and you won t need drywall on exterior walls.

[@av1204]

with current wood prices... how much of a price difference is really between the two

[@mitchellchristenson3717]

I was given a rough guesstimate from a nudura rep a year ago at roughly $15 per wall sq ft, roughly a year later from the same rep, now $20 per wall sq ft. I think a lot of things are experiencing this hike, maybe not quite as drastically as wood though.

[@RJM1011]

All prices are going up but I think ICF is still better long term for the savings in heating and cooling and less chance of any damage if there is a forest fire, flood or other.

[@ToddBizCoach]

You don t need to buy bracing. You can rent it very cheap or make braces out of 2 by 4 s to be reused later. Not everyone needs 12 ‘ walls in their garage so bracing is not an added expense.

[@Bob_Adkins]

Heated garage, probably. Non-heated, at least use good insulation to reduce condensation on the slab after a cold spell.

[@moocrazytn]

Good point! I'm still recovering from a bad fall in my garage 4 months ago caused by slipping on condensation.

[@Bob_Adkins]

@@moocrazytn Yikes, get well soon George! I've fallen a couple of times but was really lucky. I can't count the times I made a "little slip" that worried and aggravated me. Sometimes I feel like jackhammering 575 sq feet of concrete and repouring it over thick insulation.

[@markpinther9296]

When did heating a garage with propane or natural gas become a problem? That’s why we have vents to the outside.

[@Challenged1]

Portable heaters are the problem

[@hunter815]

MR, THANKS FOR YOUR COMPARISON VIDEOS... BUT WHY YOU DON´T COMPARE ICF BLOCKS WITH CONCRETE BLOCKS USING ISOPOR ON INTERNAL SIDE ??

[@RobertGammie]

Good advice but may not cost less to stick build as of Feb 2022. Lumber prices

[@Challenged1]

Exactly!!!

[@jamespatrick5930]

Probably stick built garage, depends on how much you want to heat/cool it

[@FrancoisEdmondOfficial]

What are your thoughts on doing a monopour?

[@Challenged1]

I don't know anything about it.

[@bobjoatmon1993]

Good points to ponder

[@absolutetorquetuning7956]

Have you considered a video on your diy icf bracing you made?

[@Challenged1]

I didn't feel what I built was adequate.

[@absolutetorquetuning7956]

@@Challenged1 appreciate the honesty. Im in planning stages for my build. Considering building braces from lumber or cold formed steel or fab form zonts and zuckles. So looking for inspiration and or other people's designs and experiences making their own branding. Yours looks like it was pretty successful. Any straightness issues besides at the top of wall?

[@salvatorehayes2753]

My Only Problem Is I'm Planing On Making My House Exterior Walls Of Amvic R30... And I Want A Attached Garage Of R30 As Well... Problem Is They Don't Make T Joints In R30. Any Ideas On What I Should Do? Should I Drop Down To An Entire R22 Build Where They Have T Joint Sections?

[@Challenged1]

Just cut a section of foam out of one side of the block at the T-joint. Brace it properly and no problem. This is what I did

[@Brynnium]

Actually, propane is a clean burning, efficient fuel - here at Strickland we call it God's Gas - and there are at least 12 known benefits for using propane.

[@indianafred8490]

Sorry I don't agree I like my ICF garage it protects my cars from damage in the event of a tornado!

[@jaysson1151]

Absolutely agree!

[@chrisE815]

Also protects your garage from your wi... Err person who accidentally runs into the wall.

[@teramusicofficial-musicfor6465]

Let's go

[@johnmirbach2338]

😁👌👍✌🖖😎